Pruning Back Your Life

I’m no gardener, but I do understand the concept of pruning.  I watch as my mom pinches off dead leaves in order to encourage growth and blossoms on other parts of her plants.  To that end, when I read this article on “8 Secrets to Work-Life Balance,” and I could easily visualize one of the tips:  “Prune constantly.” 

The article went on to say:

“Think of yourself as a gardener. Gardeners prune the buds that aren’t vital. Successful people constantly reassess their schedules and cut down on nonvital activities. They also may need to prune some relationships.”

I understood this very well.  Over the last couple of years I’ve had a lot of changes in my life – both bad and good.  In each case, I had to take a look at the activities I had going on.  Whatever made me feel stressed had to go.  Things that gave me a sense of calm stayed. 

More than that, I’ve noticed during certain times in my life where some friendships (or should I call them acquaintenances) fall by the wayside, too.  It isn’t that I like to see people leave my life, but I do notice that sometimes friends don’t stay around forever.  Some move, others change.  Sometimes one friend’s life changes so much that their time and attention go elsewhere.   

There are times when I look at these friendships and think, “What a shame.”  I’m saddened by the thought that I’m no longer in touch with the same people I was once.  On the other hand, I’ve appreciated whatever I’ve learned from them.  Perhaps in “pruning” my friendships I have less friends in number, but have gained greatly in the beauty they have brought into my life.

Image from Morguefile.